Independence Day

Charlotte loved Virginia Beach! Like her Nenenne in Belgium, Bamma had borrowed a booster seat and stroller and she had some great toys left from when our nieces were little.

We got her to the beach on Friday for the first time and she loved it. By the second time I carried her over the dune, she got visibly excited to see the ocean and the sand. She was not uncomfortable on the sand—actually, she got right into it and onto it; playing and crawling in the sand, eating it, and grinning from ear to ear. Our neighbors had a little kiddie pool set up and Charlotte took up residence. We had hoped she’d play with its lovely owner, Virginia, but the girls had exact opposite nap schedules.

Our cousins came down from Richmond to visit with Charlotte. First, Flo and Tony arrived for lunch. They really hit it off with Charlotte. I’ll post a picture here soon. Then Helen came down with her children, Lauren and Nick. We had a blast hanging out with them and Charlotte truly enjoyed her cousins.

I could go on and on. As for the highlights everyone will ask about:
--She slept through the night from our arrival
--She got herself back onto her nap schedule by Sunday
--She ate pretty well
--She vomited about once a day, much less volume than at home
--She had hardly any congestion

Rather than give you a travelogue, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We’re not really independent—that feeding tube goes everywhere with us and we have to be prepared for an imminent “urpcident” at any time. But, we are far less encumbered than we were this time last year. Flashback for a minute: July 4, 2005, Charlotte’s paraphernalia included an oxygen tank, a large feeding pump, an NG tube, formula that had to be thickened, and about 7 medications that we dosed about 5 times a day. Little by little, we’re getting there!